Over 100 years ago, it was discovered that vertebrae in the spine that are displaced slightly can cause neck pain, low back pain, headaches and a whole host of internal conditions including, but not limited to, dysmenorrhea, colitis, and otitis media. The term subluxation is commonly used in chiropractic to indicate such vertebrae displacement. Chiropractic is concerned with preservation and restoration of health and focuses particular attention on the subluxation. Throughout the present disclosure, the term subluxation shall mean a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health, the definition provided by the American Chiropractic Association. A subluxation is evaluated, diagnosed and managed through the use of chiropractic procedures based on the best available rationale and empirical evidence. Since the discovery of subluxation, practitioners have been trying to find better ways to locate and correct spinal subluxations. To date, many methods have been used. These include palpation of the spine to feel physical displacement, x-ray of the spine to observe the physical displacement, and infrared and millimeter wave thermography of the spine to locate the displacement by the interference that it causes on the nervous system.
The methods used to date to locate spinal subluxations have disadvantages. For example, palpation of the spine requires that the practitioner be highly trained, and the inter-examiner reliability has been shown to be only moderately reliable. X-rays have a certain amount of danger associated with them and the image is only a snapshot in time. Infrared and millimeter wave thermography are associated with instrument errors and environmental errors that makes the use of them less than perfect. It would be beneficial to humanity if these disadvantages could be overcome.
Currently, there is a need of a method for assessing the condition the spine that is repeatable, sensitive and non-invasive, with an instrument that is portable and provides immediate information regarding the status of the spine. There is a need of a method for assessing the condition the spine that does not carry with it the disadvantages noted herein above.